A Hero's Death
by siriuslyxinxharmony
Summary: Harry Potter died a hero's death saving Hermione Granger.


Recommended listening: Hero by Enrique Iglesias - .com/watch?v=dCOu1CSgeCg

"Harry!" She screamed. Death Eaters were enclosing them in a tight circle, laughing evilly along with Lord Voldemort.

She gulped as Harry trembled backwards, his wand at hand, cringing from the growing pain in his leg where Nagini had left her mark. He had only seconds left until he would be finished with darkness, but his last task was to ensure Hermione's safety.

"_CRUCIO!"_ shrieked Bellatrix Lestrange at Hermione. "Shrivel like the filthy mudblood you are!"

Harry took one look at Bellaxtrix and knew instantly what she meant when she said you had to _mean _what you were saying when you were attempting an Unforgivable Curse.

"_AVADA KEDAVRA!" _ He yelled, a large green jet emitting from the tip of his wand, shooting towards Bellatrix, whose last laugh was still etched on her horrid face. Her bagged eyes closed in on last surprised gape at Harry as she was sent flying into Voldemort, crushing him with her weight.

Death Eaters shot curses at Hermione, who avoided them deftly, doing twirls in the air and rolling until she was next to Harry. Her own emotions took over and tears filled in her eyes and started to stream down her cheeks.

"_Petrificus Totalus!" _

They were dead on; the curse hit Hermione and she could feel her limbs snap to her sides, her eyes the only muscle able to move. They were eyeing Harry, who knew as much as she did that he was dying.

"Kill the snake," he breathed weakly.

Harry could feel his eyes starting to close and glanced at Hermione quickly, fighting back the darkness starting to cloud over so he could be entranced one last time by the vivid brown. "I…love you," he exhaled feebly. "Just…survive…"

Hermione continued to stare at Harry even though she knew he was gone, but his last words remained on the top of her mind. _Survive. _She would do it for him.

Neville fought his way through the crowd easily, mirroring spells on their casters with his Godric Gryffindor Sword. He stared at Voldemort, a look in his eyes that Hermione had never seen before. Hatred. Pure hatred. But his lips curled into a ruthless smile when his eyes fell upon Bellatrix, the life sucked from her eyes, lying dead next to Lucius Malfoy.

His eyes then found Harry and Hermione, and with courage and audacity found from their state, he rushed forward and struck Nagini with his Gryffindor sword. Her head was completely torn from her body; the last Horcrux was gone. He appeared nothing but shocked at his own braveness.

"_NO!" _Voldemort screamed in fury as he advanced on Neville, Death Eaters swarming in a tighter circle around the limp bodies of Harry, Hermione and the tall one of Neville, eyeing Voldemort with disgust.

"You are worthless," Neville breathed in fury.

Voldemort raised his wand, but Neville was too agile for him. With one sweep and the incantation, "_Avada Kedavra," _Voldemort sank backwards onto the grass. The Death Eaters started, but none but a few were appearing relatively upset about their master's death. Some were even resembling relieved. And the ones that _were _upset, of course, were struck with spells from Neville and Hermione. Neville had shouted, "Finite Incantatum," to Hermione and she had returned to her normal state, casting a sad glance at Harry then joining in stunning Death Eaters with Neville.

Minerva McGonagall had come to dispose of the remaining Death Eaters, that is, the ones that hadn't already left Hogwarts grounds and Disapparated.

When Neville walked into the Great Hall, Harry's limp body slung over his shoulder, nearly everyone gasped. Screams from girls, shouts from boys, until silence fell upon the student body. Ron rushed up to Neville with shock, staring at Harry. Professor Slughorn was dissolved in tears; Professor McGonagall looked shocked and was eyeing Harry's body through water.

"He's dead. Voldemort," Neville shouted, "And the Death Eaters are gone," he added, lying Harry down in between Fred Weasley and Remus Lupin. Molly Weasley was beside herself in tears and Ron was sobbing over both his brother and his best friends, joined by Hermione and George.

"He died a hero's death," Professor McGonagall said, obviously fighting back tears.

But to everyone's immense surprise, Draco Malfoy stood and said, "We should bury him on the grounds. As a tribute to his help in the destruction of the wizard who ruined my family." He then sat down and hid his eyes with his hands. For moments everyone eyed him in shock until Seamus Finnigan stood and said, "He's right." He held up his goblet of pumpkin juice and declared, "To Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom, demolishers of Lord Voldemort." In only seconds the entire Great Hall's capacity did the same.

"I can't believe he's gone," Ron Weasley said to Hermione Granger as they sat together by the lake.

"He died saving me. Professor McGonagall was right. He died a hero's death."


End file.
